U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,979 to Fall et al. discloses a “Telescoping slide with quick-mount system” and includes a three-stage slide assembly having a stationary slide 20, a chassis-support slide 24, and an intermediate slide 22 located between the stationary slide and the chassis-support slide. The intermediate slide has an opening (beside the reference 105) and the chassis-support slide has three L-shaped slots 16. A chassis 12 has three mounting posts 14 on a side wall thereof. When the chassis-support slide is pulled out relative to the intermediate slide to a pre-set position, as shown in FIG. 4, the opening of the intermediate slide is located corresponding to the slot close to the distal end of the chassis-support slide so that one of the mounting posts may extend through the opening of the intermediate slide and enters into the slot of the chassis-support slide to be positioned. The rest of the mounting posts of the chassis can be engaged with other slots of the chassis-support slide. By this way, the chassis is supported by the chassis-support slide. However, Fall et al. do not have bearings between the stationary slide, the chassis-support slide and the intermediate slide to assist the sliding actions therebetween. Therefore, significant friction exists between the slides so that the users have to take much effort to pull the slides.
U.S. Publication Patent No. 2007/0127856 to Young et al. discloses a “Drop-in ball bearing slide assembly” and includes a three-stage slide assembly having a stationary slide segment 310, an intermediate slide segment 330, a movable slide segment 350 and a ball bearing spacer 320 located between the stationary slide segment and the intermediate slide segment as shown in FIG. 4 so that the intermediate slide segment is movable along the stationary slide segment by the ball bearing spacer. A ball bearing retainer 340 is located between the intermediate slide segment and the movable slide segment. The stationary slide segment is installed to a rack frame 10 and the intermediate slide segment has an opening 339. The movable slide segment has a plurality of slots 360. A server 20 has a plurality of mounts 370 on a side wall thereof. The ball bearing retainer as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6C has a top elongate member 342, 342″ and a bottom elongate member 344, 344″. The length L2 along the top elongate member has a plurality of first set of ball bearings 342a, 342a″ located thereto, and the length L1 along the bottom elongate member has a plurality of second set of ball bearings 344a, 344a″ located thereto. Accordingly, an upper space is defined between the top and bottom elongate members, and the upper space is the portion equal to the L1 minuses L2. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6C, the top elongate member has an opening 349. When the movable slide segment is pulled out relative to the intermediate slide segment to a pre-set position as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8A-8C, the opening 339 of the intermediate slide segment is located corresponding to the opening 362 of the movable slide segment so that one of the mounts may extend through the opening of the intermediate slide segment and the upper space or opening of the upper elongate member of the ball bearing retainer to enter into the neck portion 364 of the slot of the movable slide segment to be positioned. The rest of the mounts of the server can be engaged with other slots of the movable slide segment. By this way, the server is supported by the movable slide segment and the ball bearings assist the movement of the server. However, Young et al. the ball bearing retainers can only be cooperated with special mounts of the server, once the size of the server changes, the upper space or opening of the ball bearing retainer has to be re-arranged. And this relates development of new molds which increase manufacturing cost. Even if the upper space of the ball bearing retainer has a longer length as shown in FIG. 6A, the support forces on the top and bottom of the ball bearing retainer are not even and this affects the load support of the slide assembly.
The present invention intends to provide a slide assembly with quick-mount system to mitigate the drawbacks of the existed slide assemblies.